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Schumer Seeks Stiffer Sentences for Gun Trafficking

By Mark Scott

Washington, DC – A new study finds that New York ranks first in the nation for crimes committed with out-of-state guns.

According to the study, released over the weekend by US Senator Charles Schumer, the number of guns that came from the south -- and were used to commit crimes in New York -- more than doubled between 1999 and 2001.

Schumer says Interstate 95 is a frequently used route for weapons trafficking, so much so that he's calling it "the firearm freeway."

Schumer said he'll propose new legislation this week that would double sentences for interstate gun traffickers to 20 years. He said southern states aren't doing enough to keep weapons out of the hands of criminals.

Data from the Justice Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms show that more than 36-hundred crimes were committed in New York with guns purchased in another state.